We must continue to uphold our social harmony

Question

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is being done to reduce instances of discriminatory behaviour and speech along ethnic, gender, age or other lines within the community; and (b) what processes are in place to measure the success of such efforts.

Response

Minister Grace Fu: The social harmony we enjoy today is a precious legacy, one which we continuously work at. The focus of all our efforts, through our various initiatives and programmes, is to build bonds and understanding between people and communities, so that discrimination can be minimized. For example, the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) allow community leaders to build friendships and speak up when they see fellow Singaporeans being discriminated against, across ethnic and religious lines. The National Integration Council works to reduce discrimination along foreign-local lines. Our Youth Corps reaches out to all segments of society, including the elderly. Through its events and programmes, the People's Association reaches out to residents from all races, age groups and socio-economic backgrounds to promote social cohesion and racial harmony. When we see each other as friends, and as fellow Singaporeans, the tendency to cause hurt will be reduced.

1. We are not alone in our efforts. Other ministries and agencies also work to reduce discrimination. For example, in the workplace, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) takes a promotional and capability building approach in helping employers adopt fair employment practices and addressing employment discrimination. The Government has also made efforts towards eliminating gender stereotypes as well as discrimination based on age, race or religion through civic education in schools as well as through public education. More generally, the Media Development Authority (MDA)'s Programme Code for TV states that programmes should not encourage or in any way discriminate against any section of the community on account of gender, age, disability or occupational status.

2. We also have legislation in place to protect minority interests and to uphold a fair and harmonious society. Our Constitution guarantees that all persons are equal before the law. We have legislative safeguards such as the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, which protects the rights of minorities; the Sedition Act and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, which act as a deterrent against any group attempting to cause racial and religious conflict; and the Employment Act which protects employees against unfair dismissal.

3. While measuring discrimination is not easily quantifiable, we have surveys on attitudes that we can use. For instance, as an indication of the state of racial and religious harmony, a survey by OnePeople.SG and the Institute of Policy Studies in 2013 showed that eight out of 10 respondents were comfortable having a close friend from another race or religion. As a measure of the state of our gender equality, the UN's 2015 Human Development Report ranked Singapore 13th out of 155 countries on the Gender Inequality Index, which means that we are good, right up there in the top percentile – the lower the ranking, the higher you are – we are more equal.

4. In the long run, the harmony in our society speaks for the work we do. However, we can also do more as individual citizens by speaking out against discrimination, be it derogatory speech or exclusivist attitudes. The battle against discrimination is an ongoing one, and as a society, we must continue to maximise our common space, minimise our divides, and move forward as one united people.